Dispensing device



B60151942. M HANSES l 2,305,158l

DISPENSING DEVICE Filed Feb. 7, 1940 Patented Dec. l5, 1942 UN'ED STATES PATENT -FFCE msPENslNG DEvior:

Marguerite Hauses, Buffalo, N. Y. Applieation February '1, 1940, serial No. 311,711

l 4 claims. (o1. 221-10'2) My invention relates to an improved tooth y brush, particularly of the class designed to carry a suitable supply of dentifrice.

One object of the invention isto provide reservoir means in a tooth brush for storing a supply of dentifrice with suitable passage meansl through which said dentifrice may be fed directly to the bristles of said brush.

, Other objects are to provide means for closing a port between said reservoir and said passage means to the bristles;. to providemeans to feed the dentifrice in the reservoir to said port; to provide means to force the dentifrice through the passage to the bristles; and to provide a detachable brush head.

With the foregoing and other objects in view which will appear as the description proceeds, the invention consists in certain lfeatures of novelty in the construction, combination and arrangement of parts by which the said objects are attained, the invention being more particularly pointed out in the claims. I l

My device is particularly adapted for handling a liquid or semi-liquid dentifrice, the latter of which includes the new dentifrices of a gelatinous or similar consistency and do not readily flow. It will also be understood that my device can be used to handle a paste which requires a pressure to extrude or a powder.

Referring to the drawing:

Figure 1 is a longitudinal sectional elevation of my improved tooth brush, showing the plunger in a closed position.

Fig. 2 is ya longitudinal sectional elevation,

showing the plunger in an open position.

. Fig. 3 is a longitudinal section and Fig. 4 an end view of the dropper used at the end of the passage into the brush head.

Fig. is a longitudinal elevation, partly in section, showing a modification of my tooth brush with the plunger in an open position and with a handle at an angle to the brush head.

Fig. 6 is a section across the brush handle of Fig. 5, showing the ports controlled by the plunger 'and its bearing. s In the figures, I is a cylindrical brush handle hollowed out to form a cylindrical reservoir 2. At the front end of handle I is provided a socket with threads 3 to engage the threaded rear end 4 of the brush head 5, by means of which the brush head 5 and handle I are firmly fastened together when the brush head flange 6 engages the end of said handle. In this way a detachable brush head has 'been provided as a convenient 4 plunger 9 means of replacing the bristles which first wear'.

as a convenient handle.

I3 is a packing washer, movable on plunger 9, for sealing the opening II in the cap I0 and I4 a bearing washer, also movable on plunger 9,

vlocated next to the said packing washer I3. At-

tached to plunger 9 is aring I5, On plunger 9, between ring I5 and washer I4, is a coil compres- 'sion spring I6 which serves to maintain the packing`washer I3 over and seal the opening Il and to hold the plunger 9 in a forward position in the pump chamber 1. I

In the reservoir 2 of handle I,. I1 represents the dentifrice whichV is forced into a forward position by a suitable piston I8 'slidable on the plunger 9 and actuatedbya coil spring 29 bear-- ing against the washer I9 and the handle cap I9.

2| is an air passage or vent formed in the and when said plunger is in a closed position, as in Fig. 1, both ends of vent 2l are inside of reservoir 2 and so closed to the outside air. .When plunger 9 is in an open position, as in Fig. 2, one end of vent 2| is in the reservoir 2 and the other end outside of cap I0 and so in an open position to the air.

22 is a port in the side of plunger 9 and 23 a passage from the end of said plunger communicating with port 22 to furnish means for feeding the dentifrice ,I1 from reservoir 2 into the pump chamber 1. 24 is a passage in brush head 5 leading from pump chamber 1 to dropper '25 located among the rows of bristlesv26. The dropper 25 is preferably of resilient material, as

rubber, fastened into the brush head 5 andA having apassage 21 withl one end open to passage 24 and the opposite end closed, as shown in Figs. 3 and 4, but with a slit 28. This slit 28 is normally in a closed position, i. e. the slit sides are held in contact by the resilient action of the rubber but can be opened by the pressure of plunger 9 cn the dentifrice in passage 24 to extrude the amount in chamber 1.

-The operation of feeding dentifrice from the brush handleL reservoir 2 to the brush head bristles 26 isv as follows: Pulling plunger 9 by handle I2 from the position shown in Fig. 1 to the posiuonsnown in rig. 2, the spring n is muy compressed and limits further movement. Plunger port 22 is now open allowing a portion of dentifrice I'I to pass through passage 23 into pump chamber l, assisted by the vacuum in said chamber and the pressure exerted on said dentifrice by spring 20 through the medium ofpiston Il. Releasing handle I2 plunger l moves forward, to close port 22 and displace the dentifrice from pump chamber 1 into passage 24, passage 2l and through slit 2l of dropper 25, under pressure from spring Ii alone when the dentifrice is a light liquid. When the dentifrice is a stiff paste the plunger may have to be pressed closed by the hand on handle I2. 'I'he spring Il holds plunger 9 in the position of Fig. 1 to keep passage 24 closed when brush is not in use.

When plunger 8 is open, as in Fig. 2, the air vent 2| is also open and allows air to enter reservoir 2 to prevent a vacuum forming as dentifrice is fed into pump chamber '1.v Air vent 2I could be dispensed with, in which case the opening II, for plunger l in cap III, would act as a vent when suillcient vacuum was built up in the reservoir 2 to open the packing washer I3 against the pressure of spring I8.

In` extruding dentifrice from the slit V28, said slit is forced open by the pressure of the column of dentifrice in passages 24 and 21 by the forward movement of plunger! to allow two or three drops of a liquid or a small amount of paste Ato escapeand then closed by the resilient action of said dropper. The bulb shape of the dropper 25 is such that the air pressure on its outside surface `acts to hold the slit 28 clused on the backward movement of plunger 9. The location of dropper 25 is such as to allow the dentifrice from slit 28 to immediately contact with and be taken up by the lbristles 26. One or more passages 24 and droppers 25 can be provided as desired.

In the modification shown in Figs. 5 and 6 the-operating mechanism is the same as above described except that the plunger 9' has no port and passage in its forward end in pump chamber l', but instead the front end wall 8' of the handle I' is provided with ribs 29 which form an extension of the pump chamber l' as a bearing for plunger 9' when in its backward 0r open position. Spaces between ribs 29, where they form a bearing for plunger 9', also provide ports 30, beyond the end of said plunger in its open position, for feeding dentifrice into pump chamber 'I'. In this modification, brush end of passage 24' is enlarged to a pocket 2|, with an exit 32 smaller than passage 24'. The effect of the capillary attraction of the bodyof dentifrice in pocket 3| is to prevent its passing the smaller exit 32 and forming a drop on the outside when brush is not in use and especially with a thickened liquid dentifrice. This also helps to act as a valve when plunger is assuming an open position.

The shank 33 of brush head 5' is shown with abend 34 to provide a handle which will form an angle with said brush head as a convenient means for holding said handle away from the cheek when the brush bristles are in the mouth.

Having thus described my invention,-I claim:l

l. In a device for electing dentifrice vfrom a tubular reservoir body 'including a pump chamber at its forward end, a removable head closing the forward end of said pump chamber and hav'- ing a discharge passage leading from said pump chamber, a cap closing the rear end of said body reservoir, a pump plunger mounted in said pump chamber for reciprocating movement therein, said plunger extending from said chamber through an opening in said cap, said pump chamber having a. port which' is Opened by the backward movement of said plunger, means to feed dentifrice into said chamber through-said port, means to seal said cap opening, means to form an air vent passage in said plunger communieating withsaid reservoir and means to reciprocate said plunger in one direction to open said port and said vent and in the opposite direction to close said port and said vent and force dentifrice from said pump chamber.

2. In a device of the character described, a tubular reservoir body with a pump chamber at its forward end and having a discharge passage leading therefrom, valve means in said discharge passage, a removable cap closing the rear end of the body reservoir with a central opening therethrough, a pump plunger mounted centrally in said reservoir and maintainedy in central alignment by constantly bearing at its forward end in said pump chamber and at its rear end in said cap opening, means to seal said cap opening, spring means on said plunger to operate the plunger in a forward direction and limit its backward stroke to maintain said plunger in said pump chamber, a passage through the end of said plunger in constant communication with said discharge passage from said pump chamber, said plunger passage having a port in the side of said plunger, saidy port uncovered by the backward movement of said plunger, a piston in said reservoir, spring means to move said piston forward and feed the reservoir contents into said pump chamber through said port when open, and means to form an air vent into said reservoir, said airv vent means connected with and operated by said pump plunger to maintain said vent closed during the time said pump port is closed.

3. In adevice of the character described, a tubular reservoir body with a pump chamber at its forward end and having a discharge passage leading therefrom for the purpose specified, valve means at the exit end of said discharge passage, a cap closing the rear end of the body reservoir and having a central opening therethrough, a pump plunger having bearings maintained at each end thereof to preserve a constant align- 'ment of said plunger in said reservoir, the forward end of said plunger reciprocating in said pump chamber as a front bearing and the rear end of said plunger reciprocating through said cap opening as a rear bearing, handle means on said plunger, means to `seal said cap opening, spring means on said plunger to operate the plunger in a forward direction and limit the backward stroke of said plunger to maintain said plunger in said pump chamber, means to form a port into said pump chamber which will be opened near the end of the plunger back stroke, a piston in said reservoir, ate said piston and feed the reservoir contents forward through said port on the backward'stroke of said pump plunger, andv means to form an air vent passage in the portion of said plunger reciprocating through said cap, said passage positioned in said plunger to open only during the period of said pumpchamber port opening.

4. In a device for ejecting dentriiice from a tubular reservoir body including a pump chamber at its forward end, a removable head closing the forward end of said pump chamber and having adischarge passage leading from said pump spring means to oper- 1 2,305,158,y i f 3 chamber. a removable cap closing the rear end of the body reservoir and with a central opening therethrough, a pump plunger mounted centrally of said reservoir and maintained in central alignment by constantly bearing at its forward end in said pump chamber'and at itsrear end in said cap opening, means to seal said cap` opening, spring means on saidpump plunger to hold said seal means over said cap opening and the plunger in a' closed forward position and to limit the backward stroke of the plunger to maintain said plunger in said pump chamber, means to forma port into said pump chamber which will be open at the end of the plunger back stroke, a piston in Said reservoir, spring means to move said piston forward and feed the reservoir conl tents through said portwhen open, and 'means to forni a passage in said plunger as an air vent which will be opened only during the back stroke of said plunger and open only during the period when said piston moves forward to produce a 10 vacuum in said reservoir.v

MARGUERITE HANS-Es., 

